May 16, 2013 | Morning Headlines.
Somalia: Ahmed Madobe elected first president of Jubaland in landslide victory
15 May – Source: Garowe Online/Shabelle/Bar-kulan/
Some 500 delegates the Jubaland state formation conference in Kismayo have elected Sheikh Ahmed “Madobe” Mohamed Islam as the first president of Jubaland State of Somalia, even as Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon appointed a task force for Jubaland. Local communities allocated amongst themselves the 500 delegates to represent the various communities and districts of Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba and Gedo regions that have united to form Jubaland. The Jubaland state formation process has been underway since early 2011. Wednesday’s election at Kismayo University campus featured speeches by presidential candidates, including Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, Hilowle Aden Mohamed, and Mohamed Nur Shambar.
Key Headlines
- European Union Mission to train Somali forces in Somalia (OPM)
- 13 killed in Gedo fighting (Bar-kulan)
- Somalia: Ahmed Madobe elected first president of Jubaland in landslide victory (Garowe Online/Shabelle/Bar-kulan/
Hiiraan Online) - Armed robbers raid Dahabshil branch in Mogadishu (Bar-kulan)
- Explosion in Mogadishu (Shabelle)
- KDF war ally wins Jubaland top seat (Daily Nation)
- UN flights banned as Somalia Somaliland battle for control of airspace (Africa Review)
- Denmark: No forced returns to ‘volatile’ situation in Somalia (Amnesty International)
- John Baird appoints Canada’s first ambassador to Somalia in more than 20 years (Ottawa Citizen/Edmonton Journal)
PRESS STATEMENT
European Union Mission to train Somali forces in Somalia
15 May – Source: Office of the President of Somalia – 306 words
The President of the Federal Republic of Somalia, H.E. Hassan Sheikh Mohamud, today welcomed the deployment of the European Union Training Mission (EUTM) to Somalia, calling it a “paradigm shift in relations” between the EU and Somalia.
For the last three years the EUTM has trained over 3,000 Somali troops at a base in Uganda, and today the full training operation opened in Mogadishu, where the Third Mandate will continue to support the training and mentoring of Somali security forces. By the end of 2013 all EUTM training will be conducted in Somalia.
The President said: “Our partnership with the European Union is of immense value and has proved that recruitment from across the clans, disciplined training and effective deployment of good soldiers is totally achievable.
“Thanks in large part to the EU, we are beginning to see the development of a Somali National Army (SNA) that is diverse in origin as well as structure, and a force that is accountable, inclusive, proportionate and sustainable, and with a respect for the chain of command, the rule of law and human rights.
The President also underlined the critical shortage of arms and equipment that restricts Somalia’s security capacity “Security is the priority concern to everyone and indeed an essential prerequisite for further progress in all spheres of government and development.
But our forces today lack critical capability, and suffer a critical shortage of equipment and supplies that restrict our capacity to protect ourselves. “Therefore I emphasize the need for adequate and sustained training and resourcing for our armed forces and I am very grateful to the EU in leading this support.
“I wholeheartedly welcome the European Training Mission (EUTM) to Mogadishu and our Minister of Defence, the Force Commander and other military officials will work hand-in-hand with you to further develop structures, policy and processes that will produce a self-sustaining Somali force for the future.”
SOMALI MEDIA
13 killed in Gedo fighting
15 May – Source: Bar-kulan – 103 words
At least 13 people have been killed and several others wounded following a fierce fighting between Somali Federal government forces and al Shabaab rebel group on Tuesday night in the outskirts of Farwaley and Cara-Cas areas in Gedo region. The clash erupted after armed rebel fighters loyal to al Shabaab launched an overnight attack on Somali government troops passing a nearby area. Confirming the incident, the Deputy Commissioner of Beled-Hawa district Sheikh Addow told Bar-kulan that government troops resisted the attack by the al Qaeda-allied militant, killing 13 of militias that carried away the attack, the deputy commissioner didn’t comment on the causality on their side.
Somalia: Ahmed Madobe elected first president of Jubaland in landslide victory
15 May – Source: Garowe Online/Shabelle/Bar-kulan/
Some 500 delegates the Jubaland state formation conference in Kismayo have elected Sheikh Ahmed “Madobe” Mohamed Islam as the first president of Jubaland State of Somalia, even as Somali Prime Minister Abdi Farah Shirdon appointed a task force for Jubaland. Local communities allocated amongst themselves the 500 delegates to represent the various communities and districts of Lower Jubba, Middle Jubba and Gedo regions that have united to form Jubaland. The Jubaland state formation process has been underway since early 2011. Wednesday’s election at Kismayo University campus featured speeches by presidential candidates, including Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, Hilowle Aden Mohamed, and Mohamed Nur Shambar.
Armed robbers raid Dahabshil branch in Mogadishu
15 May – Source: Bar-kulan – 92 words
The Somali Federal government troops have arrested a group of armed men who attempted to rob Dahabshil Money Transfer Company’s branch in Bakara market in the Somali capital, Mogadishu on Wednesday. Five heavily armed men are reported to have entered the Dahabshil building in the early Wednesday. One of the bandits was shot dead by the Somali government troops while five other had been arrested during the operation as one government soldier was also injured. Senior government officials said the arrested five were taken to the police station for further interrogations.
Explosion in Mogadishu
15 May – Source: Shabelle – 139 words
An explosion occurred Wednesday at the KPP junction in Mogadishu. The explosion which was targeted on Abdi Liman Sharmake, the brother of the deceased Ali Liman sharmake who was the director of Horn Afrika radio escaped with injuries. It is believed that explosive devices were attached to his car by unknown men. One person is confirmed dead and Mr. Abdi Liman has escaped with injuries. After the explosion, government troops arrived at the scene who conducted a search operation at the nearby suburbs. Mr. Abdi Liman who is a Kuwaiti resident arrived at the country recently and it is not known why he was the target. His deceased brother suffered a similar fate where unknown men attached explosive devices in his car after the funeral of a journalist by the name Mahad Ahmed Elmi.
REGIONAL MEDIA
KDF war ally wins Jubaland top seat
15 May- Source: Daily Nation- 241 words
Sheikh Ahmed Mohamed Islam, who was the leader of the Ras Kamboni Brigade— a paramilitary group in Kismayu— has been elected President of the new Jubaland State of Somalia. A General Fartag from Gedo region was elected Vice President. Sheikh Islam, popularly known as Sheikh Ahmed Madobe, was elected by a majority of community delegates at the Jubaland Constitutional Conference in Kismayu.
UN flights banned as Somalia, Somaliland battle for control of airspace
15 May – Source: Africa Review – 146 words
The breakaway region of Somaliland has banned all UN flights from its airports following a spat with the Mogadishu-based federal government of Somalia. The self-declared republic located in north-western Somalia is protesting Sunday’s move by Mogadishu to assume full control of Somali’s entire airspace, including that of Somaliland. It is the first time the Somalia is taking control of its airspace following two decades of anarchy triggered by the collapse of the central government in 1991. On Tuesday, Mohamud Hashi Abdi, Somaliland’s Civil Aviation minister, issued the ban against UN agencies alleging that UNDP and the Nairobi-based Civil Aviation Caretaker Authority of Somalia (CACAS) had violated a previous agreement between Somalia, UNDP and the Somaliland administration. “We had already signed an agreement which allows an independent panel to control the airspace,” Minister Hashi told the media at Hargeisa, Somaliland’s capital, some 1,500km northwest of Mogadishu.
INTERNATIONAL MEDIA
Denmark: No forced returns to ‘volatile’ situation in Somalia
15 May – Source: Amnesty International – 130 words
Forcibly returning people to a volatile security situation in Somalia would violate international law, Amnesty International said as the Danish Refugee Board is due to consider returning five Somali asylum seekers. The Danish hearings on Thursday and Friday come after at least two other European states – Norway and the Netherlands – have already ended suspensions on forcibly returning people to the Somali capital Mogadishu. The Dutch and Norwegian decisions – in December 2012 and February 2013, respectively – cited improved security in the capital as the reason for the change. But the European Court of Human Rights and Dutch courts have suspended the deportation of four Somali nationals from the Netherlands since then, while the security situation remains poor in Mogadishu, and extremely dire in other parts of Somalia.
John Baird appoints Canada’s first ambassador to Somalia in more than 20 years
15 May – Source: Ottawa Citizen/Edmonton Journal – 101 words
A longtime Canadian diplomat will become the country’s first ambassador to Somalia in more than two decades. The announcement of David Angell’s appointment marks a restart of diplomatic relations between Canada and the east African country. Canada hasn’t had an ambassador accredited to Somalia since 1990 but had signalled it wanted to rekindle relations following presidential elections in the country last year. Angell was appointed Canada’s ambassador to Kenya last fall and he’ll continue to live in Nairobi while carrying out his new duties. His appointment was formally announced Tuesday by Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird during a visit to Kenya.
SOCIAL MEDIA
CULTURE / OPINION / EDITORIAL / ANALYSIS / BLOGS/ DISCUSSION BOARDS
“The Somali people are no longer socially homogenous as the feeling of them and us between the locals and the Diaspora has heightened in the fight for power and resources. Any returnee, businessmen, failed asylum seekers as well as criminals, are not welcome by the locals. It is no longer their country.”
Somalia is not safe to return anyone to….yet
15 May- Source: Hiiraan Online-2448 Words
Oh how lovely it is to see loved up youngsters dancing and swimming in Liido Beach in the now suddenly peaceful Somalia. Or the smoking of shisha at night in some of the fancy urban spots of a city that was once described as the most unsafe and volatile in world. Even more heartwarming is that the Western government like the USA, Netherlands and Great Britain have so much faith in the new found peace, security and government capabilities in maintaining these that they want to deport failed asylum seekers and Somali criminals with some form of residency in these developed countries to their nation of origin.